CINCINNATI – There is never a bad time to feel good, right? So let's go unabashedly wow for The Men. They played merely OK yesterday, and still treated the Tennessee Titans like Hubba Bubba on a bootheel.

They lacked Vonteze Beast Burfict, yet pitched a shutout into the 4th quarter. They didn't have big numbers anywhere but on the scoreboard. They've put up efficient passing numbers without Tyler Eifert.

Their coordinators are their co-MVPs. Hue Jackson has Dalton looking like a January man. Jackson said he'd have Red getting the ball out more quickly, and he has. He said he'd be on him not to make rash throws when the play breaks down, and he has. What hasn't happened yet is improved running efficiency. Is anyone going to complain about that?

Paul Guenther's crew has allowed 33 points in 3 games. Matt Ryan's group puts up one TD here, then scores 56 four days later.

The Bengals are as deep and talented as any team in the league, and still appreciably better than anyone else in the North. I didn't expect Dalton to have just one pick in 3 games, or the O-line not to have allowed a sack. Not enough respect there. But three games in, they've erased that doubt.

These are the best Men since 1988.

Without further ado. . .

TEN THINGS. . .

1. Palpable team chemistry. Faith in the guy next to you, belief that the other side of the ball will bail you out. Dalton throws behind Bernard on a screen pass, for his first INT of the season, Reggie Nelson snags one of his own shortly after.

2. Dalton was as relaxed as I've ever seen him after a game. Smiling, joking at his news conference. Not that he's ever disagreeable, just always very guarded. Sunday, he talked to the heathen media as if we were, you know, people. Not sure what this means, except relaxed folks are usually confident folks.

3. The CBS shots of downtown from Devou Park were gorgeous.

4. How did B. Johansen do with Chris Simms? Did Brad bring his considerable local knowledge into play? Did young Chris fill the airwaves with mentions of "the football" the way his pops does?

5. The next four games should give us a better fix on this team: At New England, Carolina, at Indy, Baltimore. Two teams with hopes of February, a division game, Cam Newton. Make it out of that month with two wins, the reality comes more into focus. Escape with more than that, keep early February open.

6. AJ Green is running crisper routes, now that he has Hue Jackson in his ear.

7. MohammedSanu says he has kicked a 50-yard field goal in practice. Marvin Lewis says Sanu could start at safety, a position he played in high school. He's already a better quarterback than, bless him, Jake Locker.

8. The Titans were the 90s Bengals.

9. A great time for the bye for Burfict. Give that head two weeks to heal. Two concussions in two weeks is very, very scary.

10. You know you're living right when your QB catches a TD pass from a wideout, on a play that should have been disastrous.

Now, then. . .

ATTENDANCE WAS LESS THAN GREAT. About 6,000 short of a sellout. This is the best team around here since 1988, with players worth rooting for. No me-firsters, no veteran arrestees, a guy who looks like a '50s paperboy playing QB. If you're ever gonna pay to watch. . .

ANDYDALTON TO PETER KING: "What I like about what we're doing," Dalton said, "is we put defenses on edge. They don't know what we're doing."

CBS SPORTS SAYS. . . "If I'm picking one team to win one game against any other team in the NFL, I'm not taking the Bengals. Don't get me wrong. But they look like the most consistently-good team in a league where no one's been truly impressive week to week.'"

Well then, who are you taking? On a neutral field, not the riot house in Seattle or the mile-highness in Denver or the indoor place.